Vibration damper for conductors

ABSTRACT

In a damper comprising a conductor-grasping element and a weight, said element providing a box-shaped housing so that a portion of said weight can be introduced into it, whereby elastic or resilient bodies having suitable shapes are disposed between the spaces defined by the inner surface of said box-shaped housing and outer periphery of that portion of said weight within said housing so that said weight is held resiliently by said housing through said elastic or resilient bodies.

United States Patent Inventor Masashi Kobayashi Kawasaki, Japan Oct. 22,1969 Aug. 3, 1971 Asahi Denki Kabushild Kabha Kawasaki, J pan App]. No.Filed Patented Assignee VIBRATION DAMPER FOR CONDUCTORS 6 cum, 5 Drawingm use: 114/42,

188/1 1m. CL 1102; 1/14 Field ol Search 174/42;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,215,541 9/1940 Buchanan eta1. 174/42 2,271,935 2/1942 Buchanan et a1. 174/42 PrimaryExaminer-Laramie E. Askin Attorney-Wenderoth. Lind & Ponack ABSTRACT: Ina damper comprising a conductor-grasping element and a weight, saidelement providing a box-shaped housing so that a portion of said weightcan be introduced into it, whereby elastic or resilient bodies havingsuitable shapes are disposed between the spaces defined by the innersurface of said box-shaped housing and outer periphery of that portionof said weight within said housing so that said weight is heldresiliently by said housing through said elastic or resilient bodies.

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BY mmlii ATTOR NEYS 'PATENTEnAuc 3:91: I 3,597,522

sum 2 0F 2 INVENTOR MASASHI KOBAYASHI ATTORNEYS VIMRATION DAMPER lFORCONDUCTORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates toa vibration damper for use with conductors for supplying anddistributing electricity which damps oscillations of the conductors whenmounted on them.

In order to prevent conductors from oscillating, a device in which aweight is mounted to each conductor through an arm has been hithertopublicly known and various constructions have been proposed. Anotherproposal is to mount a weight to each conductor through the use ofelastic bodies to absorb the oscillation energy by their internalfriction so that prevention of the oscillation is effected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention toprovide a vibration damper for use with conductors which performs a dualeffect by the oscillation absorptive action of an elastic body likerubber and by the so-called torsional damper absorptive action ofoscillations through interstrand friction caused by torsion inconductors.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a vibrationdamper for use with conductors which can suitably select the frequencyranges of the oscillation caused in a conductor to be damped.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vibration damperfor use with conductors which occupies a smaller dimension in thedirection of the conductor as compared with conventional dampers sothat, in case of mounting a number of dampers to a conductor, theirmounting positions can be selected as desired.

The damper for use with conductors according to the present invention ispreferably composed of a conductor grasping element providing abox-shaped element and a weight having an elongation which is shaped soas to form two or more elastic body embracing spaces between it and theinside of said box-shaped element when they are assembled, whereby saidspaces have interposed therein elastic bodies each having suitable shapeso that said weight is supported by said box-shaped element by means ofsaid elastic bodies, with the center of gravity of said weight being outof the perpendicular line passing through the centerline of theconductor so that, upon a relative movement of said box-shaped element,said weight causes said elastic bodies to elastically deform.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the presentinvention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art whenconsidered in conjunction with the following detailed description andthe illustrative accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a partial sectional view of an embodiment of a damper for usewith conductors according to the present invention viewed in thedirection of the conductor;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the damper shown in FIG. l; and

FIGS. 3, t and 5 represent further modified embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. l and 2 ofthe drawings, there is shown an embodiment of a damper for use withconductors in accordance with the present invention, in which lldesignates a conductor-grasping element, usually called a clamp, beingdesigned so as to have any desired shape and, in the embodiment shown,it is composed of a conductor receiving element 2 having an innersemicylindrical surface and a holding piece 4 similarly having an innersemicylindrical surface 3, thereby a conductor W whose oscillation is tobe damped is held between the conductor receiving element 2 and theholding piece 43 by rigidly fixing the latter to the former such as witha bolt 5, which is screwed into the conductor-receiving element 2through a hole provided in the holding piece t.

The conductor-grasping element 2 is integrally formed with a box-shapedhousing 6 so that it is directly disposed below the conductor W when itis mounted on the conductor W. The box-shaped housing 6 also may beconstructed so as to have any desired shape, but it must have such ashape that the inner space defined by its configuration cooperates withthe outer configuration of the to-be-suspended portion 11 of a weightdisposed within it so that there are formed a number of spaces toreceive elastic bodies to be explained in greater detail.

In the embodiment shown, the housing is shaped as if a square is cut bya plane parallel with one of its diagonals near the apexes lying on thediagonal. The weight 10 has generally a disclike shaped body with aportion thereof being elongated along a line of its symmetry and theelongated portion is cut out at its upper and lower portions 12 byisosceles right-angled triangles respectively so that there is left asymmetrical dovetail portion 11 in the elongated portion. When thedovetail portion ll of the weight 10 is introduced into the inner spaceof the box-shaped housing 6 so that the apexes of the isoscelesright-angled triangles forming the dovetail portion ill of the weight 10respectively confront or align with the apexes lying on a perpendiculardiagonal of the box-shaped housing 6 respectively, there are formed twosubstantial square spaces 7, 7 between the inside of the box-shapedhousing 6 and the outer periphery of the dovetail portion 1 ll of theweight ll). Accordingly, when a tubular or an annular elastic body ii isintroduced into respective square spaces 7, 7 so that its peripherycomes into contact with the inner side surface of the box-shaped housing6 and the outer surface of the dovetail portion 111 of the weight 10,the weight 10 is supported by the box-shaped housing 6 via the elasticbodies 8, 8 from the conductor W. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 12designates the space between the lateral dovetail portion 11 of theweight 10 and the outer peripheries of the elastic bodies 8, 8.

Though the present invention has been described in accordance with aspecified embodiment shown, the box-shaped housing 6 and the conductorreceiving portion 2 of the conductor-grasping element ll may be madeseparately and assembled together by welding or bolt and nut. Theelastic body 8 is preferably made of a material such as vibrationinsulating rubber, either of the aforesaid generally circular form, orof a C-shaped form as shown at 8' in FIG. 3, but also as per FIG. 4 ametallic leaf spring shaped or coiled so as to have a C-shapedconfiguration, designated 8, may be also used. Further, depending on theshape of the space formed between the boxlike housing and the dovetailportion, a coil spring 8, as shown in the FIG. 5 embodiment may be used.Of course, the shape of such space is not limited to a square, on thecontrary, linear polygons or polygons having partially curved lines canalso be used. The shape of the elastic body 8 can be made to have anydesired configuration depending on the shape of the space, thus anelastic body having circular, elliptical or oval cross section ratherthan an annular cross section as shown in FIG. 1 may be also used eventhough it is made of rubber. It will be understandable to those skilledin the art that the space is not to be limited to a square shape, northe number of the spaces limited to only a pair, and that thesymmetrical arrangement of such spaces is not necessarily required. Theweight 10 may be also designed to have any desired shape. However, theweight It) needs to be disposed in such a manner that the position ofits center of gravity G is remote from its suspended end portion 111 andsimultaneously does not lie directly below the conductor W.

The vibration damper according to the present invention has onepreferred construction as above-mentioned. Next its operation will beexplained.

When the conductor W is going to oscillate, the weight 10 accordinglyoscillates relative to the conductor grasping element 1 so that theshapes of the spaces 7,7 deform, which then deforms the elastic bodies8,8. Accordingly, the elastic bodies absorb the energy by means ofinternal friction or the like so as to quickly damp the oscillation.Further, since the position of the center of gravity of the weight isremote from the perpendicular plane passing through the axis of theconductor W, there arises twisting or torsional force in the conductor Wdue to the oscillation, which results in the generation of friction orthe like between the elementary wires of the conductor to prevent itfrom being oscillated.

I claim:

1. A vibration damper for use with electrical conductors comprising aconductor grasping element providing a boxshaped housing, a weighthaving a portion introduced into said housing so that between the innersurface of said housing and the outer periphery of said portion thereare formed suitable shaped spaces and resilient body means disposed insaid spaces with each body means having an outer periphery in contactwith the inner surface of said housing and the outer periphery of saidportion of said weight, whereby the center of gravity of said weight ispositioned out of a perpendicular line including the conductor.

2. A vibration damper as defined in claim 1 wherein said box-shapedhousing has a generally square shape and said weight has substantially acircular shape with a portion thereof being elongated so as to have asymmetrical shape with respect to the centerline of said weight, wherebysaid elongated portion is cut out at its upper and lower portions so asto have a symmetrical dovetail shape, so that each of said spaces hassubstantially a rectangular shape.

3. A vibration damper as defined in claim 2 wherein said resilient bodymeans include bodies having generally annular ring shapes made ofelastic material.

4. A vibration damper as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient bodymeans include bodies of arcuate C-shape,

5. A vibration damper as defined in claim 4 wherein said arcuate C-shapebodies are formed of leaf spring means.

6. A vibration damper as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient bodymeans include coiled leaf spring means.

1. A vibration damper for use with electrical conductors comprising aconductor grasping element providing a box-shaped housing, a weighthaving a portion introduced into said housing so that between the innersurface of said housing and the outer periphery of said portion thereare formed suitable shaped spaces and resilient body means disposed insaid spaces with each body means having an outer periphery in contactwith the inner surface of said housing and the outer periphery of saidportion of said weight, whereby the center of gravity of said weight ispositioned out of a perpendicular line including the conductor.
 2. Avibration damper as defined in claim 1 wherein said box-shaped housinghas a generally square shape and said weight has substantially acircular shape with a portion thereof being elongated so as to have asymmetrical shape with respect to the centerline of said weight, wherebysaid elongated portion is cut out at its upper and lower portions so asto have a symmetrical dovetail shape, so that each of said spaces hassubstantially a rectangular shape.
 3. A vibration damper as defined inclaim 2 wherein said resilient body means include bodies havinggenerally annular ring shapes made of elastic material.
 4. A vibrationdamper as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient body means includebodies of arcuate C-shape.
 5. A vibration damper as defined in claim 4wherein said arcuate C-shape bodies are formed of leaf spring means. 6.A vibration damper as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient bodymeans include coiled leaf spring means.